Honey Bees, It´s Importance

A few years ago, when the world was watching the United States experience a significant loss of honey bees due to colony collapse disorder, most people didn't give much thought to a bunch of dying bees. As they were not directly affected, it was not a serious problem for them. Little did they know that the catastrophic loss of bees during that period (and which continues to a lesser extent today) in fact does affect every human being in one way or another.

To put this loss in perspective, did you know that a worker bee only produces 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime? Of course, she only lives six or seven weeks, but still, it takes billions of honey bees to produce the amount of honey we consume annually worldwide.

Without honey bees in our lives, we would not have the abundance and quality of fruits, nuts and vegetables we see in our supermarkets; we would not have many medicines that depend on substances produced by honey bees, including honey, and we would not have many flavorful baked goods that rely on honey to give them their sweetness.

When people think of bees, they think only of bee stings and honey. They learn as children how bees fly from flower to flower drinking nectar and collecting pollen, of course, but the learning stops there for most. Unfortunately, too many people take bees for granted or see them as pests, when, in fact, they are vital to our very survival.

There are no of substances produced by bees that are used today in alternative medicine. The word apitherapy, once used to describe only bee sting therapy, is now used to describe the use of any bee products such as honey, royal jelly, propolis, etc. to treat or heal a plethora of health conditions. In some treatments, such as apilarnil and bee sting therapy, bees are literally made to give up their lives to alleviate our pains and afflictions. We owe so much to bees. Let's see just how incredibly important bees are in helping us heal ourselves alternatively. One word of caution-before taking any product as pure and naturally potent as the ones listed below, you should be aware that in some instances, allergic reactions have been known to occur. However rare, it is still a good idea not to jump right into taking any supplement without first discussing it with your health care provider or doing further research on the possible side effects and potential dangers of these substances.

A Natural First Aid Antibiotic
Since ancient times, honey has been an effective household remedy. Long known as having excellent healing qualities, recent biomedical research has now shown that honey is also a potent antibiotic, when applied to cuts, bruises and burns.

The excellent nutritional value of honey is also highly preferable to white sugar - which, besides pure carbohydrates - has different nutritional values. But honey also has an as yet unrealized but very powerful nutritional value. All wild flower honeys in particular - honey gathered by bees foraging in the wild - contain the full natural range of the 72+ nutritional trace elements.

The following list of ailments and conditions for which honey is found to be an effective alternative remedy. Much of this effectiveness can be attributed to the presence of the complete natural range of the 72+ nutritional trace elements in all wild flower-derived honey.

Some Folk Lore Remedies or Tips:
Wounds or Grazes - cover wound with honey and a bandage. Excellent healer.

Honey for Burns - apply freely over burns. It cools, subsidies pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Besides being a salve and antibiotic, bacteria cannot live in honey.

Bed Wetting - a teaspoon of honey before bed, aids water retention and calms fears in children.

Sleeplessness - a dessert spoon of honey in a mug of hot milk aids sleep and works wonders!

Hyperactivity - Honey is a mild sedative with minerals, vitamins, amino acids etc. Replace all white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities!

Nasal Congestion - place a dessert spoon of honey in a basin of hot water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Its very effective.

Fatigue - dissolve one part of honey in 3 parts of water and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose and so it is quickly absorbed by the digestive system. (Honey is a unique natural stabilizer - ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition!!).

Facial Deep Cleanser - mix honey with oatmeal approx. 50/50 till thick and apply as a face-pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne etc.

Poor Digestion - mix honey with apple cider vinegar approx. 50/50 and dilute to taste with water - aids digestion. Also reputed to be wonderful for the joints.

Hair Conditioner - mix honey with equal quantity of Olive Oil and rub into hair. Cover head with a warm towel for half and hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Hair will never look or feel better! Your receding hairline will stop.

Sore Throats - let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.

Stress - honey in water is a stabilizer - calms highs and raises lows. Use approx. 25 percent honey to water.

Food Preservative - cakes with honey replacing sugar stay fresher longer due to natural antibiotics. Reduce liquids by approx. one-fifth to allow for moisture in honey.

Baby's Bottle - four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multi vitamin additive. If baby's movements are too liquid then reduce by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon.

Teething - honey rubbed on a baby's gums is a mild sedative and anaesthetic.

Osteoporosis - English research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilisation and prevents osteoporosis. Essential from age 50 onwards.

Long Life - one common fact worldwide is that the most long-lived people are regular users of honey. An interesting fact yet to be explained is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.

Migraine - use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at start of attack. If necessary repeat in 20 minutes. Always effective (so tip goes) as migraine is stress related.

Conjunctivitis (pus in the eye) - honey dissolved in equal quantity of warm water. Apply when cooled as lotion or eye bath.

Laxative: Interesting uses for honey also include as a natural laxative for those who are constipated. The laxative effective is very mild but considered helpful to those in need of some relief.

Arthiritis: Millions of people experience arthritis joint pain on a daily basis. Mix one gallon of water with two cups of honey. Add one cup of lemon juice and warm the mixture. Place a cloth in the warm mixture and place it directly on the inflamed joint. The mixture will not spoil, so you can store it in a plastic container with a tight lid.

Useful in Baking: Using honey when baking will ensure that your cakes, cookies, etc. won't dry out. Pastries baked with honey come out as sweet and moist as those baked with sugar. According to several of my cookbooks, honey absorbs and retains moisture. The best way to preserve the moisture is to store your goodies n a tightly covered container after they cool.

Note: Honey to infants should be avoided as it can carry a bacteria that is dangerous for very young children, but harmless to older children and adults.